Azat Adamyan


After the April War, Azat Adamyan founded the “Bardak” pub in Stepanakert, which soon became a favorite gathering place for young people and tourists from Artsakh. During the 44-day war, he volunteered for the 7th defense unit called “Yeghnikner”, where he was wounded in October. Later, in 2023, when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, Azat participated in the defense of Khramort. Now, Azat has reopened the “Bardak” pub in Stepanakert in Yerevan. He also aims to create his own new Artsakh in an abandoned village in Armenia.

Vahagn Samvelyan


Vahagn became known and loved by the public from the TV series “The Last Teacher”, where he played the role of Armen. He was seriously injured as a result of Azerbaijani aggression in Artsakh and spent days in an artificial coma. 21-year-old Vahagn was a conscript, he had been drafted into the army for two months when the war began. Now he is an actor in a drama theater, he still bears the consequences of the war, he can only see with one eye, but he always looks forward, accepting this blow of life.

Hanik-nanik


"Hanik Nanik" national dance song, accompanied by Seda Tevanyan. At the "Mkhitar Sebastatsi" educational complex, singer and songwriter Seda Tevanyan's "Tevani" song ensemble has gathered children of all ages around her. They perform folk, national, and Komitas songs.

Fold it


"Tsal Era" national song, accompanied by Seda Tevanyan. At the "Mkhitar Sebastatsi" educational complex, singer and songwriter Seda Tevanyan's "Tevani" song ensemble has gathered children of all ages. They perform folk, national, and Komitas' songs.

Ring the bell


"Zar Zing" Komitas. At the "Mkhitar Sebastatsi" educational complex, singer and songwriter Seda Tevanyan's "Tevani" song ensemble has gathered children of all ages. They perform folk, national, and Komitas' songs.

Hayaser Hayrapetyan


Hayaser Hayrapetyan is from the village of Chartar, Artsakh. He was born in 1992, days after his father's death. After graduating from school, he entered the Fine Arts Department of Artsakh State University, and taught for many years in Chartar and several nearby art schools. He participated in the 44-day war as a volunteer. After the war, he continued to paint, while at the same time, he was transferred to the intelligence service in the "Martuni 3" military unit. On September 19, 2023, he was wounded in the head. After being in a coma for five days, he was taken to Yerevan by resuscitation vehicle. After being wounded, he had trouble speaking, even forgetting to write and read. Hayaser had intended to open a large exhibition in Artsakh, but his paintings and sculptures remained at home. Only a small statuette dedicated to his mother and two paintings with Artsakh landscapes were brought to Armenia.

Art and Audience: Bridging the Distance


In order to fill the gaps in the field of cultural journalism and reduce the gap between the artist and society, the ARE Cultural Foundation, in partnership with the Institute of Contemporary Art, with a grant from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Armenia, has initiated a free journalism course for those covering culture and art. Marine Karoyan, Founding Director of the ARE Cultural Foundation, and Narine Safaryan, Head of the Educational Department of the Media Initiatives Center, spoke about the “Art and Audience: Bridging the Gap” project at “Artfocus”. The program was hosted by art critic Anahit Margaryan.

Soviet censorship and medieval literature


During the Soviet period, especially in the 1930s and 1940s, Armenian medieval literature was subjected to strict censorship. Not only were the works of our medieval authors not published or were published in abbreviated form, but literary criticism also presented and interpreted them with distortions corresponding to the ruling ideology. In the program “Parallel Readings,” literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan discuss the peculiarities of the presentation of medieval literature during the Soviet years.

The musical programs of the "Kayt Cultural Center"


"Kayt Cultural Hub" is an interdisciplinary ecosystem that unites several organizations, dozens of artists and musicians, as well as hundreds of students to ensure the life cycle of Armenian culture, from preservation to development. The acquired knowledge and experience are transformed into tangible results: books, recordings and albums, films and videos, as well as public performances, handicrafts. Tatevik Shakhkulyan, Senior Researcher of the Music Department of the Institute of Arts of the National Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Arts, Conservatory Lecturer, spoke at "Artfocus" about the musical programs of the "Kayt Cultural Hub".

Yeghishe Charents' poems in a new way


The second volume of the academic edition of Yeghishe Charents' works has been published, which includes the poet's poems written between 1915 and 1931. How does this edition of poems differ from previous editions and what distinguishes Charents' poems written during this period? Literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan discuss these issues in the program "Parallel Readings".

Activities of the Markos Grigoryan Foundation


His works are presented in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate British Gallery, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in Tehran. Painter, collector, gallerist, curator, actor, founder of the direction of earthen art in Armenian reality, whose works are sold for several hundred thousand dollars at the most popular art auctions. An artist who donated about 2,000 Iranian, Armenian, and European applied art samples to his homeland, Armenia. In "Artfocus", Anahit Margaryan talked with Michel Alaverdyan, director, curator, and art critic of the "Markos Grigoryan Foundation".

Literary 2025


The year was full of literary events, anniversaries, and new and important publications. The “Parallel Readings” program series covered almost all the important events of the literary year, presented the literary events, and presented various literary issues with thematic programs. In the last program of this year’s “Parallel Readings” program series, literary critics Hayk Hambardzumyan and Arkmenik Nikoghosyan summarize the literary 2025.